Railway car coupler



Feb. 7 195% H. H. WOLFE RAILWAY CAR COUPLER 3 Shets-$heet 1 Filed Oct. 9, 1945 Fe a. 7, 195@ H. H. \NQLFE RAILWAY CAR COUPLER 3 Sheets-"Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 9, 1945 Feb. 7, 11950 H. H. WOLFE RAILWAY CAR COUPLER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 9, 1945 Patented Feb. 7, 1950 Harry H. Wolfe,.Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The. Buckeye Steel Castings. Company, Columbus,

Ohio" Application October 9, 1945, Serial No. 621.249

19 Gl'aims. l

Thisinvention relates to improvements in railway car couplers. and more particularly to an improved interlocking coupler for freight service.

Tightlock coupler which was made-a standard-for new passenger cars in 1944. The original Tightlock coupler known as'the-T'ype T was used on passenger cars'from 1936 until the Type H was made a standard in 1944.

The Tightlock' coupler. has many advantages over the Type- E coupler for passenger cars due to the tight fit in the contours of two-coupled Type H couplers (no free slack in pull or. buff) and its interlocking features which act to. align the two: opposing Type I-I-' couplers both vertically and horizontally within certain predetermined. limits. The details ofthesecouplers are, of course, familiar to the art.

A new type of coupleris now being proposed forsuse in freight service- Thiscoupler will incorporate thegeneral features of' the Tightlock passanger coupler with the exception of the tight contour. A. small amount of: free slack will be provided inithe contour: so as to eliminate the machinin which is: done. on the". Type H Tig-htlock coupler to. obtain an: absolutely tight contour.

The proposed interlocking. freight coupler: will couple with all existing standard couplers. such "as the-old M. C. B. couplem. Type: D coupler,

Type E coupler, andv the" TightlockType: T and Type H couplers;

The proposed interlocking freightcoupler has aligning wings similar tothe-tightlockpassenger coupler and. which were. designed to." intermesh with the aligning wings of the'tightlock coupler.

All freight cars. have air and signal lines located on the right hand side facing the end of the car. These train lines terminate at each end of" the car in angle cooks for opening and closing thelines; and air'hoses are connected-to the angle cocks andhose couplings: are fastened tothe free: end of: the hoses. The angle; cocks have certain locations on the ends of the cars so that the air hoses are allv standard lengths. However, the angle cocklocations may varywithincertain limits but numerous cars havethe angle. cocks locatedoutside thesellimits and have operated satisfactorily.

Incoupling a car: equipped. with. the proposed 2' interlocking coupler. to existin cars equipped with D or E couplers, it has been found that the aligning wing on the knuckle side of the pro.- posed interlocking coupler interferes with the angle cocks or train lines on numerous existing cars and to change the locations of. the angle cocks on all existing. cars wouldbe a tremendous undertaking.

In order to: eliminate this interference without changin the location. of the angle cocks, the applicant has conceived the ideav of. removing entirely the lower portion of the aligning. wing on the knuckle side of. the interlockir ig coupler and replacing it with aligningsurfaces and abutments centrally located at the bottom of. the. coupler which arrangement will clear all. train lines. The new. structure-willperform all the functions of the portion removed on the knuckle side of the coupler andal'so will perform the additional functions. of increasing thestrength of the front face of the coupler by tyin the guardv arm to the pulling lugs and in; case of failure through the shank. of existing couplers, such as the M. C.

.13., D, and E couplers,. the shelf extending forward of and below the central'portion ofv the contour will prevent the broken coupler from falling to the rail and possibly causing a derailment. I

The abovefeatures are-not-limitedto an interlocking freight coupler, and. may be applied. to existing tightlock couplers by the use of an adapter casting incorporating the above features, which can be weld'ed to the underside of existing tightlock couplers.

With these andv other objects in view,.the in vention consistsof certaimnovelfeatures of con.- struction and operation, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out withzreference to the-accompanying. drawings, in. which:

Fig. 1v is atop plan view of a coupler made in accordance with the invention;

Fig. ZiS-a. similar View. of the same, facing the coupler shown in Fig. 1 to illustrate-the manner in which a pair of couplersmate.

Fig. 3 is-a side elevationof one of thecouplers.

Fig. 4 is a similar viewlooking from the side opposite that shown. in; Fig..- 3.

Fig. 5 is afrontelevational view of one of the couplers.

Fig. 6 isa diagrammatic viewtaken through the guard.- arm and aligning wing pocket and throughv the bottom shelf portions of: a pair of the. couplers shown approaching. coupling. position. Thesection. of the: couplerat the left of this figure is takenon-line: (id-61: of Fig; 5, and

groove or recess l3, arranged at one side of forwardly projecting bearing portions M in which the vertical shaft I of the pivoted knuckle I5 is journaled, said knuckle being swingable toward and away from the groove l3, as indicated in dot and dash lines, for the purpose of clasping the knuckle of another coupler.

In keeping with the present invention, the guard arm [0 (Figs. 1 and 2) is of known construction, and terminates in a wedge nose I1 having forwardly converging lateral surfaces l8 and I9 adapted to cooperate with lateral walls and 2| of the aligning wing pocket ll of another coupler, in bringing a pair of tight-lock couplers or the like into mating relation. The

guard arm also has top and bottom forwardly converging surfaces 22 and 23 (Figs. 4 and 6) designed to engage upper and lower converging surfaces of the aligning wing pocket of a tightlock coupler (not shown) when the two couplers are coming together.

In accordance with my invention, the lower half of the aligning wing pocket II is omitted (Figs. 5 and 6) but the top sloping surface 22 of a guard arm of another coupler is adapted to slidably engage a rearwardly and downwardly sloping surface 24 provided at the bottom of the room 25 of the pocket of my coupler. As is customary in tight-lock couplers, a forwardly projecting lug 26 having a substantially vertical abutment surface 26a, is arranged at the roof of the pocket I I and is designed to enter a cavity '21 at the top of the guard arm 10 of another coupler and abut against a vertical surface 21a of the latter, when the two come into mating relation. The guard arm has a second similar cavity 28 (Fig. 4) at its bottom for the reception of a lug like the lug 26 of a standard tight-lock coupler (but arranged at the bottom of the pocket) when the present coupler is used therewith.

In the invention, as before mentioned, the

bottom portion of the pocket II is eliminated,

and as shown in Fig. 5, the bottom edge of the rear wall of the pocket is inclined downwardly and toward the medial portion of the coupler head, as indicated at 29, so as not to interfere with train air lines, etc.

A depending extension 30 projects from the bottom of the coupler head and is rigidly united therewith, so as to form a horizontal shelf 3i at one side and closely adjacent to the central portion of the bottom of the head, which shelf is spaced from the bottom 32 of the knuckle 16 to provide a horizontally disposed cavity 33 for the reception of the bottom portion of a falling knuckle or the like, which can land on the shelf.

The edge of the shelf is positioned at the front of the coupler head and is concaved, as shown at 34 (Figs. 1, 2 and 5), for the reception of the lower bearing 14 of the knuckle shaft of a mating coupler, in the event one coupler should happen to be lower than the other when they come together. A transverse vertical portion 34a of said edge is positioned to abut a like surface of another similar coupler when the two are in coupled condition. It may be seen from Figs. 1 and 2 that the shelf obstructs the lower end of the groove [3 but as it is spaced from the bottom of the knuckle, a gauge (not shown) may be readily moved downwardly through the groove when the knuckle is in closed position and may afterwards be removed from between the knuckle and shelf.

Immediately below the shelf, I arrange a forwardly projecting lug 35 positioned at one side of the longitudinal vertical plane of the coupler, and I provide the front of this lug with an up- 'wardly and rearwardly inclined ramp 36 designed to cooperate with the depending flange 31 or bottom of the shelf of another similar coupler to lift the latter onto the top of ing 35 when the couplers are coming together (if such lifting is necessary) to insure that the front surface 34a of the shelfflange of one coupler will come into abutting relation with the front surface 34a of the flange of theother coupler, as indicated in Fig. 6. When this takes place, the front surface 26a of the aligning wing pocket H of one coupler will come into abutting relation with the corresponding surface 21a of the guard arm in of the other coupler.

As may be seen from Figs. 1 and 2, when the couplers are to be brought into mating relation, the knuckles are in dotted line positions, and as the couplers move toward one another, the nose I! of the guard arm of one coupler will enter the aligning wing pocket II of the other, and owing to the complementary surfaces, they will function to guide the parts into mating relation. Simultaneously, the lugs 35 (Fig. 6) at the bottoms of the couplers will cooperate with the lower edges 31 of the front flanges of the coupler shelves so as to further insure proper mating, and as is customary, the knuckles of the two couplers will be brought into clasped position by any preferred means (not shown).

. The depending extension 30 and the parts thereof below the weld joints shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 may be formed as a separate casting as hereinabove indicated. Such an adapter casting may be welded along the lines shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 to the under side of existing tightlock couplers or may be formed as a separate part in constructing new couplers and welded to the under side of the head.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that my improved coupler will interlock with a coupler of identical construction or with a standard tight-lock coupler because the latter will have an aligning wing pocket functioning for the same purposes as the pocket I I, but provided with a bottom to cooperate with the parts 23 and 2B of terfere with the knuckle of such a coupler interlocking with the knuckle of my improved coupler. It will also be apparent, in the event that a coupler should fall while coupled to my improved coupler. its knuckle will land on the shelf 3| so that the couplers will remain coupled and thereby prevent derailment or the like.

While I have disclosed what I now consider to be a preferred embodiment of the invention in such manner that the same may be readily understood by those skilled in the art, I am aware that changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from" the spiritio'f -the invention as expressed inthe following claims What-I claim and desire: to secure by Letters Patent is:

1-. A coupler of" the character described comprising a headhaving a forwardly projecting guard arm' at one side thereof and a rearwardly extending aligning wing pocket atthe opposite side thereof adapted toreceive theguard arm of a similar coupler, the pocket being of materially less depth than the guard arm and having an open bottom, and means carriedby the head to force a similar coupler to become aligned with said first-mentioned coupler during the coupling operation.

2. A coupler of the character described com.- prising' a head having a forwardly projecting guard arm at one side thereof and airearwardl'y extending aligningwing pocket at the opposite side thereof adaptedto receive theguardarm of a similar coupler; the pocket'being of materially less depth: than the guard arm and having" an open bottom, a knuckle pivotally'connected'to-the head for swinging. movement between the guardarm and pocket, and means carried by the head to force a similar couplerto-become aligned with said first-mentioned coupler during the coupling operation.

3,. Av coupler of the character" described com:-

prising a head having. a forwardly projectingguard arm at oneside thereof and a rearwardly extending; aligning wing pocket at the opposite side thereof adaptedto receive the guard arm'of a similar'coupler, thepocket being of materially less depth than the" guard arm. and" having an open bottom; said pocket having'a roof provided with a bottom surface inclined rearwardiy and downwardly, and means. carried by the head to force a similar coupler to become aligned with said first-mentioned coupler during the coupling operation.

4. A coupler of the character described comiprising a head having a' forwardly projecting guard arm at one side, thereof anda rearwardly extendingv aligning wing pocket at" the opposite side thereof adapted to receive the guard arm of a similar coupler, the, pocket being; of materially less depth than the guard arm and having an open. bottom, said pocket: having opposite side walls, the inner surfaces of which converge t'oward the rear of the pocket, and means carried by the head to force a similar coupler to become aligned'with said first-mentioned coupler during the coupling operation.

5. A coupler of the character described comprising a head having a forwardly projecting guard arm at onesidethereof and a rearwardly extending aligning wing pocket at theopposite side thereof adapted to receive the guard arm of a similar coupler, a knuckle pivotally connected to the head between the guard arm and pocket, a shelf extending forwardly of the medial portion of the front of the head and spaced vertically from the knuckle, and a lug projecting forwardly from the shelf and adapted to slidably engage the shelf of a similar coupling.

6. A coupler of the character described comprising a head having a forwardly projecting guard arm at one side thereof and a rearwardly extending aligning wing pocket at the opposite side thereof adapted to receive the guard arm of a similar coupler, said head having at the front thereof a contour between the guard arm and pocket forming a vertical groove and bearings, a knuckle journaled in the bearings and movable toward and away from the: groove, a shelf ex?- tending' forwardly: of" the medial: portion of the head, spaced downwardly from the knuckleand extending beneath the lower end of the groove, andi a. lug projecting forwardly from the bottom portion off the shelf and adapted. to underlie-the shelfofasimilarcoupler;

7-. A coupler ofthe character described comprising a. head having a forwardly projecting guardtarm atone-side. thereof and a rearwardly extending aligning wing pocket at the opposite side. thereo'fadapted to receive the guard'arm of a. similar coupler, said head having at the front thereof" acontour between the guard arm and pocket forming a vertical" groove and bearings; azknuckle-journal'edin the bearingsand movable toward and away: from the groove, a shelf ex tending forwardly of the medial portion of the head, spaced downwardly from the'knuckle-a-nd extendingv beneath the lower end of 'the groove, and a1 lugprojecting forwardly from the bottom portion of the shelf and adaptedto underlie the shelf of asimilar coupler; said lug being provided-with: a ramp inclined upwardly and rearwardly-from'its front'end.

8. A coupler comprising a head provided at the front thereof with a knuckle pivotally mounted for: swinging movement about a vertical axis; a shelfarranged at' the bottom portion of the front of the head and spaced downwardly from the knuckle, and a lug projecting forwardly from the bottom portion of the shelf at the medial portion offthehead and off'set to-one side ofthe longitudinal vertical plane of the coupler, and adapted to underlie the shelf of a similar couplerwhenthecouplersa are in coupled position.

9.. A coupler comprising a head provided at the: front thereof" with a knuckle pivotally mounted for swinging movement about a vertical axis, a. shelf arranged at the bottom portion of the front of" thehead and spaced downwardly from theknuckle, and a lug'projecting forwardly from. the bottomportion of the shelf at the medial portionof'the head and offset toone side of the longitudinal vertical planeof the coupler; and: adapted tov underlie the shelf of a similar coupler when the couplers: are in coupled position,.said lugbeing provided with a ramp inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the front 'end thereof;v

1.0:.Ina coupler of the character described, a couplenhead provided' at'one side with an alignmg: wing; pocket arranged mainly on the upper halfaofi thepcouplerz and having a roof, rear wall and inner and outer side walls, the outer and rear walls being. of materially less depth than the 'coupler.-'headi and the lower end of the pocket being open, and: means carried by the head to force a similar coupler to become aligned with said first-mentioned coupler during the coupling operation.

11. A coupler of the character described comprising a head having a forwardly projecting guard arm at one side thereof and a rearwardly extending aligning wing pocket at the opposite side thereof adapted to receive the guard arm of a similar coupler, the pocket being of materially less height than the guard arm and having an opening bottom, said head having at the front thereof a contour between the guard arm and pocket forming a vertical groove and upper and lower bearings arranged at one side of the groove, a knuckle journaled in the bearings and movable toward and away from the groove, a shelf at the 76 bottom of the head extending forwardly of the medial portion of the latter, spaced downwardly from the knuckle and projecting beneath the lower end of the groove, and a lug projecting-forwardly from the bottom portion of the shelf and adapted to underlie the shelf of a similar coupler.

12. In a coupler of the knuckle type, a head provided at its bottom portion with a forwardly extending shelf, a lug projecting from-the bottom portion of the shelf and adapted to underlie the shelf of a similar coupling, said shelf being provlded with a front edge portion arranged in a substantially vertical plane approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the coupling, a substantially horizontal upper surface on said lug merging with said edge portion of the shelf, and an inclined surface on the lug sloping downwardly in proceeding forwardly from said horizontal surface. i 13. A coupler of the character described comprising a head having a forwardly projecting guard arm at one side thereof and a rearwardly extending aligning wing pocket at the opposite side thereof adapted to receive the guard arm of a similar coupler, the pocket being arranged mainly on the upper half of the head, being of materially less depth than the guard arm and having an open bottom, and means carried by the head to force a similar coupler to become aligned with said first-mentioned coupler during the coupling operation.

14. In a coupler of the knuckle type, a head provided at its bottom portion with a forwardly extending shelf, a lug projecting from the bottom portion of the shelf and adapted to underlie the shelf of a similar coupling, said shelf being provided with a front edge portion arranged in a substantially vertical plane approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the coupling, a substantially horizontal surface on said lug merging with said edge portion of the shelf, said lug being provided with a ramp inclined up.- wardly and rearwardly from the front end thereof, a guard arm on the coupler head, and means providing a guard arm receiving pocket on the coupler head, k

15. A coupler of the character described comprising a head provided at its bottom portion with a forwardly extending shelf having at least two front edge portions, one edge portion being arranged in a substantiall vertical plane approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the coupler and the other edge portion being concaved, and a lug projecting from the bottom portion of the shelf and adapted to underlie the shelf of a similar coupling.

16. In a coupler of the knuckle type, a head provided at its bottom portion with a forwardly extending shelf having at least two front edge portions, one edge portion being arranged in a substantially vertical plane approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the coupler and the other edge portion being concaved, a lug projectingfrom the bottom portion of the shelf adapted to underlie the shelf of a similar coupling, and said lug being provided with a ramp inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the front end thereof, for engaging under the shelf of a similar coupling.

, 17. A coupler of the character described comprising a head having a forwardly projecting guard arm at one side thereof and a rearwardly extending aligning wing pocket at the opposite side thereof adapted to receive the guard arm of a similar coupler, the pocket being of materially less height than the guard arm and having an open bottom, and means at the front of the bottom of the head adapted to cooperate with a similar coupler to force the coupler to become aligned during the coupling operation.

18. A coupler of the character described, comprising a head having a forwardly projecting guard arm at one side thereof and a rearwardly extending wing pocket at the opposite side thereof adapted to receive the guard arm of a similar coupler, said wing pocket being arranged mainly at the upper half of the coupler and having a roof, a rear wall and inner and outer side walls, the outer and rear walls being of materially less depth than the coupler head and the lower end of the pocket being open, and means at one side and closely adjacent the central portion of the bottom of the head adapted to cooperate with a similar coupler to force the couplers to become aligned during the coupling operation.

, 19. An adapter for a coupler head, comprising a shelf adapted to be arranged at the bottom portion of the front of the head, and a lug pro- 'ecting forwardly from the bottom portion of the shelf and adapted to underlie the shelf of a similar coupler provided with the adapter when the couplers are in coupled position, said lug being provided with a ramp, inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the front end thereof.

' HARRY H. WOLFE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

